Housing Placement and Stabilization Specialist (SHH)

Location: 105 Chauncy Street, with community-based work (65% office, 35% streets)

About the role

The Housing Placement and Stabilization Specialist works within the Outreach Department to provide housing navigation support to unsheltered homeless guests, collaborating with Outreach Specialists and Clinicians. This role uses a “Housing First” approach to assist participants in securing and sustaining permanent housing through document collection, benefit enrollment, housing applications, unit showings, lease signings, and referrals to community services. Post-placement, the Specialist delivers office and community-based stabilization services aligned with funder benchmarks and industry best practices. During extreme weather, the role may support emergency street outreach. This position is considered essential for the PSI.

Guiding principles:

• Shelter is a temporary safety net, not a home
• All people experiencing homelessness can achieve housing stability in permanent housing, regardless of their history or duration of homelessness
• Everyone is “housing ready”; sobriety, treatment compliance, or a clean criminal history are not prerequisites for housing success
• Programs and providers must be “consumer ready”
• Engage guests’ strengths to move rapidly into permanent housing at their own pace
• Work as part of a team, offering and seeking help as needed
• Recognize the impact of violence and victimization on development and coping strategies
• Employ an empowerment model to maximize guest choices and control over their recovery
• Create a respectful atmosphere that prioritizes guest safety, respect, and acceptance
• Emphasize strengths, resilience, and adaptations over symptoms or pathology
• Minimize re-traumatization risks
• Strive for cultural competence and understand each person in the context of their life experiences
• Solicit and incorporate guest input in service design and evaluation

Responsibilities

• Provide housing navigation support to unsheltered homeless guests
• Organize document collection and enroll clients in mainstream benefits
• Complete housing applications and accompany guests to unit showings and lease signings
• Offer referrals to community-based services
• Deliver office and community-based stabilization services post-placement
• Adhere to funder benchmarks and industry best practices for stabilization
• Support emergency street outreach during extreme weather conditions
• Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team
• Maintain strong written communication and documentation skills
• Utilize Microsoft Office products (Excel, Outlook) proficiently

Requirements

• Associate’s Degree in a human services-related field (or High School Diploma with three years of equivalent social service experience)
• Valid driver’s license in good standing
• Minimum six months of experience working with homeless or similar populations, providing direct care and/or case management
• Capacity to work collaboratively on a multi-disciplinary team
• Strong written communication and documentation skills
• Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook)
• Knowledge of homelessness issues, including housing, substance use, mental illness, and economic factors
• Familiarity with homeless referral networks and “Housing First” philosophy
• Basic math skills and budgeting experience

Qualifications (Preferred)

• Undergraduate degree, certification, or formal education in counseling and case management
• Bilingual proficiency
• Training in Trauma Informed Care, Progressive Engagement, and Motivational Interviewing
• One year of experience working with homeless populations, providing direct care
• Extensive experience with case management, housing placement, and landlord engagement
• Experience with Clarity or similar HMIS systems
• Knowledge of tenant rights, responsibilities, and “Strengths-based” Case Management
• Experience with case conferencing for challenging presentations

Schedule

• 40 hours per week: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
• Nights and weekends as needed during adverse weather conditions

Pay

$23.48–$26 per hour, based on relevant experience and skill set